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The Wayfarer Redemption #5
Pilgrim
Pilgrim , Book Five of the Wayfarer Redemption from Sara Douglass The Star Gate is destroyed and the Star Dance is dead. Icarii Enchanters, gods, and humans alike are helpless as the TimeKeeper Demons lay waste to Tencendor. There must be hope left, but no one knows where to find it. Death lurks in every twist of the Maze, but only those who have the courage to endure death can learn the secrets of the ancient enemy. Caelum SunSoar and his parents know that the only way is to discover the ancient secrets that lay trapped in the mountain Star Finger, and Faraday, martyred heroine, grows ever fearful -- and ever bitter. Must she lose everything to the land?
655 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
42 people are currently reading
1721 people want to read
About the author
Sara Douglass
65 books1,030 followersDouglass was born in Penola, South Australia. She attended Annesley College, in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide. She studied for her BA while working as a Registered Nurse, and later completed her PhD in early modern English History. She became a lecturer in medieval history at La Trobe University, Bendigo. While there she completed her first novel, BattleAxe, which launched her as a popular fantasy author in Australia, and later as an international success.
Until the mid-2000s, Douglass hosted a bulletin board on her website, with the aim of encouraging creative thinking and constructive criticism of others' work. She maintained an online blog about the restoration project of her house and garden entitled Notes from Nonsuch in Tasmania.
In 2008, Douglass was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment, but in late 2010 the cancer returned. She died on 27 September 2011, aged 54.
She also wrote under her real name Sara Warneke.
Until the mid-2000s, Douglass hosted a bulletin board on her website, with the aim of encouraging creative thinking and constructive criticism of others' work. She maintained an online blog about the restoration project of her house and garden entitled Notes from Nonsuch in Tasmania.
In 2008, Douglass was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment, but in late 2010 the cancer returned. She died on 27 September 2011, aged 54.
She also wrote under her real name Sara Warneke.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
October 27, 2020
This is a marked improvement over the first book in this trilogy, but that isn’t saying much. Pilgrim is very much Drago’s redemption story, and Sara Douglass is determined that we care for him as a person and a hero. And you know what? I think she might actually succeed. Not because Drago is all that great, but because our choice of other heroes is … not great. Axis and Azhure (well, to be fair, mostly just Axis in this book) continue to be the literal worst. WolfStar is awful. Caelum is, for reasons I won’t spoiler, not really in the picture on this one. StarDrifter and Zenith kind of get relegated to supporting roles, and the human princes are basically non-entities.
Nope, folx, it is definitely the Drago and Faraday Show.
The Timekeeper Demons are loose in Tencendor. Their plan? Gotta collect ’em all. Except instead of Pokémon, they need to travel to each of the 4 magical lakes and retrieve a part of their evil uber-colleague, Queteb. Once they’ve reassembled and reanimated him, they’ll be unstoppable! Until then, they are limited to each having sway over a specific span of hours in the day—during which time anyone not in shade can be mind-controlled and turned into a raving lunatic/zombie thing.
I don’t think I’ve discussed how ridiculous the Timekeeper Demons are, so let’s pause and reflect on that. They are Metaphor Demons, in the sense that each represents a certain negative trait—despair, hunger, etc. Their personalities, however, leave much to be desired, and any time we spend with them makes me think of them as petty, squabbling children. This is the problem with personifying your nigh-unstoppable mystical forces: they feel small.
Meanwhile, everyone is engaged in a race against time. The Demons are racing to the lakes. WolfStar is trailing them because he wants to reanimate Niah the same way the Demons plan to reanimate Queteb. What happens with WolfStar and Niah both … well … let’s just say, Douglass’ fascination with strange sex/sexual violenc stuff reaches new levels in Pilgrim. And that’s in addition to Zenith quite literally complaining that she is too disgusted by the idea of sleeping with her grandfather, StarDrifter, and how much that sucks because she really wants to sleep with him. And everyone is all, “Ooooh, Zenith, don’t worry, you’ll get over and it then the two of you can boink like proper SunSoars” and I just … I can’t. I can’t. This book goes beyond kink into a very uncomfortable place.
I mentioned in my intro that Axis continues to Axis it up all over the place. Without spoiling things, suffice it to say that he is the oldest person I have ever seen to throw a temper tantrum. He would rather kill Drago on sight than admit that Drago might have a role to play in saving the entire world. Axis is the epitome of fragile, toxic masculinity—he always has been, right from Book 1, but whereas the original trilogy was about his growth into a hero, this trilogy seems determined to cast him as a crabby, closed-minded old man.
And then we have Faraday. I fucking loved Faraday in this book, because Faraday is tired of your bullshit. Faraday is not having it anymore. She has spent 4 books being put through the wringer, being killed and transformed and assaulted and married off and basically told what to do for every major decision in her life, and she is done. She majestically and quite rightfully rejects all notions of destiny in Pilgrim, and it is the best part of this book.
Finally, let’s talk about Drago. In the original trilogy he was a minor villain, an instigator of a plot to kill the baby Caelum so he could be the StarSon. His face turn is perhaps the most surprising aspect of this second trilogy, and Pilgrim works hard to explore that. Despite all my other criticisms of Douglass’ writing and storytelling, I will hand it to her: she does a good job here. Drago doesn’t suddenly embrace his new role, doesn’t immediately step up and say, “Yes, now I am the hero! Hahaha.” He struggles with it, much like Axis struggles with the idea, because Drago too has spent 40 years being told he is the worst person alive. So it makes sense that he needs to adjust to the new reality.
Oh, and there is a lot of magic happening. Those races against time? They involve discovering magical secrets, magical sanctuaries, etc. This might seem like a weird remark for a fantasy series, but … sometimes I feel like The Wayfarer Redemption has too much magic. Like, everything and everyone in this book is mysterious and magical, and it’s likely one reason that this book is over 700 pages long. More importantly, when everything is magical, nothing is magical; if magic becomes the norm, if ordinary physics and logistics cease to matter to your storytelling, then you fall down a very deep rabbithole of handwavery. Douglass in particular seems fixated on closure and the idea that every character, every loose end, must be accounted for, wrapped up, tied off, and connected (Urbeth’s secret identity, revealed in this story, is a prime example). Yet I would argue that one of the most powerful actions a writer can take is to leave some mystery, leave some questions unanswered—not in a way that creates inconsistencies or continuity errors, and hopefully not in a way that leaves readers unsatisfied. Rather, leave enough room for interpretation and speculation and doubt, because that’s what keeps our brains hooked on your world.
Pilgrim actually has some worthwhile moments in it. But it is buried beneath a torrent of weird violence, sex, and substandard storytelling. I have one more book in this series to go, and then I will be happy to draw a line beneath these books forevermore.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Nope, folx, it is definitely the Drago and Faraday Show.
The Timekeeper Demons are loose in Tencendor. Their plan? Gotta collect ’em all. Except instead of Pokémon, they need to travel to each of the 4 magical lakes and retrieve a part of their evil uber-colleague, Queteb. Once they’ve reassembled and reanimated him, they’ll be unstoppable! Until then, they are limited to each having sway over a specific span of hours in the day—during which time anyone not in shade can be mind-controlled and turned into a raving lunatic/zombie thing.
I don’t think I’ve discussed how ridiculous the Timekeeper Demons are, so let’s pause and reflect on that. They are Metaphor Demons, in the sense that each represents a certain negative trait—despair, hunger, etc. Their personalities, however, leave much to be desired, and any time we spend with them makes me think of them as petty, squabbling children. This is the problem with personifying your nigh-unstoppable mystical forces: they feel small.
Meanwhile, everyone is engaged in a race against time. The Demons are racing to the lakes. WolfStar is trailing them because he wants to reanimate Niah the same way the Demons plan to reanimate Queteb. What happens with WolfStar and Niah both … well … let’s just say, Douglass’ fascination with strange sex/sexual violenc stuff reaches new levels in Pilgrim. And that’s in addition to Zenith quite literally complaining that she is too disgusted by the idea of sleeping with her grandfather, StarDrifter, and how much that sucks because she really wants to sleep with him. And everyone is all, “Ooooh, Zenith, don’t worry, you’ll get over and it then the two of you can boink like proper SunSoars” and I just … I can’t. I can’t. This book goes beyond kink into a very uncomfortable place.
I mentioned in my intro that Axis continues to Axis it up all over the place. Without spoiling things, suffice it to say that he is the oldest person I have ever seen to throw a temper tantrum. He would rather kill Drago on sight than admit that Drago might have a role to play in saving the entire world. Axis is the epitome of fragile, toxic masculinity—he always has been, right from Book 1, but whereas the original trilogy was about his growth into a hero, this trilogy seems determined to cast him as a crabby, closed-minded old man.
And then we have Faraday. I fucking loved Faraday in this book, because Faraday is tired of your bullshit. Faraday is not having it anymore. She has spent 4 books being put through the wringer, being killed and transformed and assaulted and married off and basically told what to do for every major decision in her life, and she is done. She majestically and quite rightfully rejects all notions of destiny in Pilgrim, and it is the best part of this book.
Finally, let’s talk about Drago. In the original trilogy he was a minor villain, an instigator of a plot to kill the baby Caelum so he could be the StarSon. His face turn is perhaps the most surprising aspect of this second trilogy, and Pilgrim works hard to explore that. Despite all my other criticisms of Douglass’ writing and storytelling, I will hand it to her: she does a good job here. Drago doesn’t suddenly embrace his new role, doesn’t immediately step up and say, “Yes, now I am the hero! Hahaha.” He struggles with it, much like Axis struggles with the idea, because Drago too has spent 40 years being told he is the worst person alive. So it makes sense that he needs to adjust to the new reality.
Oh, and there is a lot of magic happening. Those races against time? They involve discovering magical secrets, magical sanctuaries, etc. This might seem like a weird remark for a fantasy series, but … sometimes I feel like The Wayfarer Redemption has too much magic. Like, everything and everyone in this book is mysterious and magical, and it’s likely one reason that this book is over 700 pages long. More importantly, when everything is magical, nothing is magical; if magic becomes the norm, if ordinary physics and logistics cease to matter to your storytelling, then you fall down a very deep rabbithole of handwavery. Douglass in particular seems fixated on closure and the idea that every character, every loose end, must be accounted for, wrapped up, tied off, and connected (Urbeth’s secret identity, revealed in this story, is a prime example). Yet I would argue that one of the most powerful actions a writer can take is to leave some mystery, leave some questions unanswered—not in a way that creates inconsistencies or continuity errors, and hopefully not in a way that leaves readers unsatisfied. Rather, leave enough room for interpretation and speculation and doubt, because that’s what keeps our brains hooked on your world.
Pilgrim actually has some worthwhile moments in it. But it is buried beneath a torrent of weird violence, sex, and substandard storytelling. I have one more book in this series to go, and then I will be happy to draw a line beneath these books forevermore.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
January 13, 2014
I don't know that I'll ever be a fan of the series, but at least it's improving.
I still don't really feel like Ms Douglass creates compelling or believable characters and worlds. While I do like this cast of characters far better than those in the first trilogy, once again they are falling into "He's a protagonist so you HAVE to like him even if he's a jerk" or "These are the antagonists so they have absolutely zero redeeming qualities" categories. There really isn't much room for grey areas here (except perhaps WolfStar).
There are a few twists and turns with the plot, but unfortunately you see them coming from miles away.
So.... it's an improvement over the other novels - even slightly better than #4 - but it still has a long way to go before I'd want to read it again.
I still don't really feel like Ms Douglass creates compelling or believable characters and worlds. While I do like this cast of characters far better than those in the first trilogy, once again they are falling into "He's a protagonist so you HAVE to like him even if he's a jerk" or "These are the antagonists so they have absolutely zero redeeming qualities" categories. There really isn't much room for grey areas here (except perhaps WolfStar).
There are a few twists and turns with the plot, but unfortunately you see them coming from miles away.
So.... it's an improvement over the other novels - even slightly better than #4 - but it still has a long way to go before I'd want to read it again.
October 10, 2010
The second installment of this trilogy is a slight imrpovement on the first. In this book, Sara Douglass focusses more on story development than the shock value of Sinner, although she continues to pursue the uncomfortabe incest route.
I also felt that Pilgrim, like Sinner, was very contrived. Douglass sets up scenarios quite well, but when asking herself 'why?' these scenarios occur, it seems she hastily answers 'just because!' without giving any proper resolution to what she chooses to occur.
I also felt that Pilgrim, like Sinner, was very contrived. Douglass sets up scenarios quite well, but when asking herself 'why?' these scenarios occur, it seems she hastily answers 'just because!' without giving any proper resolution to what she chooses to occur.
August 17, 2021
This Drago is the one I liked...
August 9, 2018
I enjoyed the reading - because I genuinely have never read anything like this but ... there are so many problems.
I’m not sure how I feel about it’s treatment of women or it’s treatment of rape. For a start everything in the book gets raped - the trees get raped, the land gets raped, zenith gets raped, wolfstar gets raped (over and over and over and they fill him with pestilence.) That Qeteb zombie rapes the Niah zombie ( is it rape if you are both soulless zombies?) Arguably Leagh is also raped by Zared and then forced to marry her rapist.
It’s gross. Weirdly it is zenith rape that bothers me - she gets over it in about 10 seconds and is far more worried about sleeping with her grandfather (again, feeling uneasy). For her grandfathers part there is literally a part where he wonders whether he should have raped his daughter in law and also whether he should rape his granddaughter and he thinks about the rape in this super casual way. BTW he genuinely loves both these women and thinks the rape will just maybe convince them to love him.
Women are such objects in the book - even the “strong” women character like Faraday or Azhure just sit around being devoted to a man. They have very little autonomy. Whilst the men generally have some higher purpose other than the women ... the women just sit around obsessing over the men. It is annoying and dated and can’t be blamed on the ‘culture’ entirely because there is no consistent kind of social hierarchy around the treatment of women.
Azhure is such a hero in the first books but by book 5 she pretty much just slinks around doing whatever axis wants and wishing her evil mother would take over her daughter’s body. No real explanation at all is given why Azhure is a crap Mum who only loves one of her children. Ditto for axis but he doesn’t really care for any of the children.
Also WHY DID CAELUM CASUALLY KILL RIVERSTAR?
It’s like “btw caelum killed Riverstar - we won’t give you any explanation or insight why this outwardly gentle man would do this but... she totes forgives him in the afterlife and doesn’t seem fazed about the murder at all.”
Seriously why? Also everyone then immediately forgets about her and her murder. Apparently no one cares who killed a cherished member of their family who is basically Tencendor royalty.
I’m 5 books in so not stopping as only one left.
I’m not sure how I feel about it’s treatment of women or it’s treatment of rape. For a start everything in the book gets raped - the trees get raped, the land gets raped, zenith gets raped, wolfstar gets raped (over and over and over and they fill him with pestilence.) That Qeteb zombie rapes the Niah zombie ( is it rape if you are both soulless zombies?) Arguably Leagh is also raped by Zared and then forced to marry her rapist.
It’s gross. Weirdly it is zenith rape that bothers me - she gets over it in about 10 seconds and is far more worried about sleeping with her grandfather (again, feeling uneasy). For her grandfathers part there is literally a part where he wonders whether he should have raped his daughter in law and also whether he should rape his granddaughter and he thinks about the rape in this super casual way. BTW he genuinely loves both these women and thinks the rape will just maybe convince them to love him.
Women are such objects in the book - even the “strong” women character like Faraday or Azhure just sit around being devoted to a man. They have very little autonomy. Whilst the men generally have some higher purpose other than the women ... the women just sit around obsessing over the men. It is annoying and dated and can’t be blamed on the ‘culture’ entirely because there is no consistent kind of social hierarchy around the treatment of women.
Azhure is such a hero in the first books but by book 5 she pretty much just slinks around doing whatever axis wants and wishing her evil mother would take over her daughter’s body. No real explanation at all is given why Azhure is a crap Mum who only loves one of her children. Ditto for axis but he doesn’t really care for any of the children.
Also WHY DID CAELUM CASUALLY KILL RIVERSTAR?
It’s like “btw caelum killed Riverstar - we won’t give you any explanation or insight why this outwardly gentle man would do this but... she totes forgives him in the afterlife and doesn’t seem fazed about the murder at all.”
Seriously why? Also everyone then immediately forgets about her and her murder. Apparently no one cares who killed a cherished member of their family who is basically Tencendor royalty.
I’m 5 books in so not stopping as only one left.
April 19, 2007
My general review of the Wayfarer Redemption series:
A lot of prophecy-based fantasy I've read revolves around good overcoming evil, usually with relatively little in the way of serious struggle or loss. The Wayfarer Redemption series blows that approach out of the water.
These books are gritty, gruesome, graphic, intense and filled with content that will keep your blood stirred. The good guys fall short of grace, the bad guys are misunderstood and the most redeemable, punished and flawless character in the book lives with the worst fate of the entire planet.
You can't help but invest in these characters, share their joy, rage at their hardships and it keeps you always guessing on your toes.
I've read few other books that do as good a job making sure the good side takes as many hits in the struggle as the bad guys do which makes it feel more realistic. I highly recomend this series to a mature audience of sci-fi, fantasy authors that are looking for something really different.
A lot of prophecy-based fantasy I've read revolves around good overcoming evil, usually with relatively little in the way of serious struggle or loss. The Wayfarer Redemption series blows that approach out of the water.
These books are gritty, gruesome, graphic, intense and filled with content that will keep your blood stirred. The good guys fall short of grace, the bad guys are misunderstood and the most redeemable, punished and flawless character in the book lives with the worst fate of the entire planet.
You can't help but invest in these characters, share their joy, rage at their hardships and it keeps you always guessing on your toes.
I've read few other books that do as good a job making sure the good side takes as many hits in the struggle as the bad guys do which makes it feel more realistic. I highly recomend this series to a mature audience of sci-fi, fantasy authors that are looking for something really different.
April 20, 2012
Reading Pilgrim was heavy going for the first half, with demons ravaging the land and the future looking extremely bleak - I had to force myself to pick up the book and read the next chapter. But Drego gradually transformed into a hero I really cared about, pulling tricks and powerful magic out of his cool cloth sack and bringing hope and love back into the story.
This is becoming a common pattern with the Sara Douglass books I have read so far. I get to a point where I am just about to give up on the book and then she pulls out an amazingly likable and truly awesome character and suddenly I can't put it down.
Pilgrim has set this trilogy up to be epic, moving and truly satisfying, and I know that Douglass will deliver on that promise in the final instalment. Her work is complex and layered, meaning you have to expend some effort in the beginning, but it certainly pays off. I look forward to seeing how she ties all the pieces together in Crusader.
This is becoming a common pattern with the Sara Douglass books I have read so far. I get to a point where I am just about to give up on the book and then she pulls out an amazingly likable and truly awesome character and suddenly I can't put it down.
Pilgrim has set this trilogy up to be epic, moving and truly satisfying, and I know that Douglass will deliver on that promise in the final instalment. Her work is complex and layered, meaning you have to expend some effort in the beginning, but it certainly pays off. I look forward to seeing how she ties all the pieces together in Crusader.
August 1, 2010
OK, I figured out what mostly doesn't work for me about what's going on in this series.
The series was presented as fantasy, but then in the last book there were hints of science fiction. In this story the science-y bits get stronger, and just don't work for me. Then there's the strong dose of "everything is fated to happen" added in. The whole thing just gets more unbelievable as the chapters move on.
And, y'know, there's still a lot of whiners.
The series was presented as fantasy, but then in the last book there were hints of science fiction. In this story the science-y bits get stronger, and just don't work for me. Then there's the strong dose of "everything is fated to happen" added in. The whole thing just gets more unbelievable as the chapters move on.
And, y'know, there's still a lot of whiners.
January 16, 2009
This is the start of the last part of the Axis series, it didn't roll nearly as well as the first three.
December 21, 2022
Brutal and horrifying, yet fascinating and full of fantasy.
October 27, 2020
Pilgrim is overall a solid follow-up to Sinner, but there are some very glaring falls here that stop it quite short of being as good. In fact, this feels a lot more like a book from the Axis trilogy--which isn't really a good thing--but it feels more like Enchanter than either of the other two, which is an okay thing. This series is strange.
Pilgrim begins immediately where the preceding novel left off. Faraday is very much human again, Drago has been reborn after being killed by travelling through the Star Gate, and enchantment is dead. The Star Dance has been essentially obliterated with the destruction of the Star Gate, and now the TimeKeepers--Demons who have been entrapped in the stars for millenia--are on Tencendor and intend to revive their master, Qeteb, whose body parts are scattered in the Lakes of Tencendor.
The strengths here are, thankfully, quite a few. Both Drago and Faraday here feel like actual characters, and they are almost singlehandedly carrying my genuine enjoyment of this second trilogy. Drago struggles with his true destiny, suffers from doubts and insecurities, and yet he is still kind and attempting real redemption. Faraday, on another token, is pretty much done with all of the Prophetic flim-flam and just wants to quit being bandied about by destiny or whatever evil-of-the-day is threatening the world; frankly, that mindset just rocks and Faraday rules.
However, this is where we arrive at the myriad problems. Smallest of Douglass's sins here is the latter quarter of the novel. The pacing just suddenly grinds to a halt after over 400 pages of progression and buildup, so we can (very tediously) follow the evacuation of Tencendor. We could have cut out maybe thirty to fifty pages here and I don't feel that we would have lost much.
The far greater follies come with the story's treatment of RiverStar, and (arguably) of WolfStar. RiverStar is revealed to have been brutally, viciously murdered by Caelum--who, may I remind everyone, vehemently blamed and framed his brother Drago for--and nobody seems to care. It's breezed over as if it isn't a massive reveal, and not a single character really seems to feel like Caelum was even in the wrong here. He even gets a happy little ending with her, because apparently brother-on-sister incest is only okay in the afterlife, and again: she doesn't even seem to care that he stabbed her to death. Why the hell was this not a bigger deal? The only message sent here is that we shouldn't care about a woman--or, hell, anyone--being murdered, so long as they were promiscuous and snobby and were being kind of a dick at the moment. Why was there no real absolution or consequences for this??? Especially because, as far as a ton of characters likely still know, Drago murdered his sister. Nobody's gonna try and clear his name?
WolfStar, on the flipside, is brutally raped multiple times over and over and this, too, is presented as a very matter-of-fact thing. We are shown various examples of people clearly treating rape as the vile act that it is (ie Zenith, StarDrifter, and very predominantly Faraday) so it doesn't seem like rape is exactly acceptable in this world. And yet, the book simply glosses over time and time again that this previously extremely important and powerful character is just being raped by the new villains. How are we supposed to feel about this? The predominant emotion is disgust, but as far as the story tells it we have a bunch of villains seeming to think it's funny and the heroes having zero reaction to any of it. It's simply baffling.
Those two very impassioned paragraphs are the reason I dropped this book a whole star. The fact of the matter is, aside from these glaring issues I had with the novel, I still genuinely enjoyed it and thought it was a fine middle chapter for the concluding trilogy of Tencendor's world. I will be moving on to the third and final book.
Pilgrim begins immediately where the preceding novel left off. Faraday is very much human again, Drago has been reborn after being killed by travelling through the Star Gate, and enchantment is dead. The Star Dance has been essentially obliterated with the destruction of the Star Gate, and now the TimeKeepers--Demons who have been entrapped in the stars for millenia--are on Tencendor and intend to revive their master, Qeteb, whose body parts are scattered in the Lakes of Tencendor.
The strengths here are, thankfully, quite a few. Both Drago and Faraday here feel like actual characters, and they are almost singlehandedly carrying my genuine enjoyment of this second trilogy. Drago struggles with his true destiny, suffers from doubts and insecurities, and yet he is still kind and attempting real redemption. Faraday, on another token, is pretty much done with all of the Prophetic flim-flam and just wants to quit being bandied about by destiny or whatever evil-of-the-day is threatening the world; frankly, that mindset just rocks and Faraday rules.
However, this is where we arrive at the myriad problems. Smallest of Douglass's sins here is the latter quarter of the novel. The pacing just suddenly grinds to a halt after over 400 pages of progression and buildup, so we can (very tediously) follow the evacuation of Tencendor. We could have cut out maybe thirty to fifty pages here and I don't feel that we would have lost much.
The far greater follies come with the story's treatment of RiverStar, and (arguably) of WolfStar. RiverStar is revealed to have been brutally, viciously murdered by Caelum--who, may I remind everyone, vehemently blamed and framed his brother Drago for--and nobody seems to care. It's breezed over as if it isn't a massive reveal, and not a single character really seems to feel like Caelum was even in the wrong here. He even gets a happy little ending with her, because apparently brother-on-sister incest is only okay in the afterlife, and again: she doesn't even seem to care that he stabbed her to death. Why the hell was this not a bigger deal? The only message sent here is that we shouldn't care about a woman--or, hell, anyone--being murdered, so long as they were promiscuous and snobby and were being kind of a dick at the moment. Why was there no real absolution or consequences for this??? Especially because, as far as a ton of characters likely still know, Drago murdered his sister. Nobody's gonna try and clear his name?
WolfStar, on the flipside, is brutally raped multiple times over and over and this, too, is presented as a very matter-of-fact thing. We are shown various examples of people clearly treating rape as the vile act that it is (ie Zenith, StarDrifter, and very predominantly Faraday) so it doesn't seem like rape is exactly acceptable in this world. And yet, the book simply glosses over time and time again that this previously extremely important and powerful character is just being raped by the new villains. How are we supposed to feel about this? The predominant emotion is disgust, but as far as the story tells it we have a bunch of villains seeming to think it's funny and the heroes having zero reaction to any of it. It's simply baffling.
Those two very impassioned paragraphs are the reason I dropped this book a whole star. The fact of the matter is, aside from these glaring issues I had with the novel, I still genuinely enjoyed it and thought it was a fine middle chapter for the concluding trilogy of Tencendor's world. I will be moving on to the third and final book.
July 14, 2019
4 Stars
Pilgrim is the fifth book in The Wayfarer Redemption series by Sara Douglass. When this book was released back in in mid 1990’s, when I first read it, it was originally called Battleaxe and was book one of the Axis Trilogy- the series later got expanded and so the name change. Part of my 2019 reading challenge was to read an Australian author- well how do I narrow that down, there are so many great Aussie authors, but Ms. Douglass was one of the first Aussie authors whose work I fell in love with. I have devoured everything she had ever written and was devastated when she lost her battle with cancer back in 2011. Her books really stuck with me over time, and I don’t revisit them as often as I’d like. The last few months have been emotionally draining for me, and I really wanted/needed to lose myself in another world- so I chose to revisit some old favourites that have a comforting nostalgia associated with them. I couldn’t choose just one of her books, they are all great, and quite a few of them are interconnected- so I chose to read them all.
I still love The Wayfarer Redemption series as much as I did the first time I read it. It is an epic fantasy interwoven with prophecy, demons, evil Baddies, adventure, action, drama, a bit of a love triangle, good vs evil, magic, mystery, and so much more. Ms. Douglass weaves her stories quite masterfully, crafting a truly believable and sumptuous world in which to set her story. Her attention to detail brings her world and stories to life- with its own culture, history, language, religion, folklore, magic, laws, tensions, and communities. So cleverly done that I feel like I have ‘been’ there before.
The Wayfarer Redemption series books are:
-The Wayfarer Redemption (Book One)
-Enchanter (Book Two)
-Starman (Book Three)
-Sinner (Book Four)
-Pilgrim (Book Five)
-Crusader (Book #6)
If you like epic fantasy, adventures in new worlds, plenty of action, good vs evil, some violence, wonderful character, and interesting stories- then this book series is definitely one you will want to read!
Happy Reading!
Pilgrim is the fifth book in The Wayfarer Redemption series by Sara Douglass. When this book was released back in in mid 1990’s, when I first read it, it was originally called Battleaxe and was book one of the Axis Trilogy- the series later got expanded and so the name change. Part of my 2019 reading challenge was to read an Australian author- well how do I narrow that down, there are so many great Aussie authors, but Ms. Douglass was one of the first Aussie authors whose work I fell in love with. I have devoured everything she had ever written and was devastated when she lost her battle with cancer back in 2011. Her books really stuck with me over time, and I don’t revisit them as often as I’d like. The last few months have been emotionally draining for me, and I really wanted/needed to lose myself in another world- so I chose to revisit some old favourites that have a comforting nostalgia associated with them. I couldn’t choose just one of her books, they are all great, and quite a few of them are interconnected- so I chose to read them all.
I still love The Wayfarer Redemption series as much as I did the first time I read it. It is an epic fantasy interwoven with prophecy, demons, evil Baddies, adventure, action, drama, a bit of a love triangle, good vs evil, magic, mystery, and so much more. Ms. Douglass weaves her stories quite masterfully, crafting a truly believable and sumptuous world in which to set her story. Her attention to detail brings her world and stories to life- with its own culture, history, language, religion, folklore, magic, laws, tensions, and communities. So cleverly done that I feel like I have ‘been’ there before.
The Wayfarer Redemption series books are:
-The Wayfarer Redemption (Book One)
-Enchanter (Book Two)
-Starman (Book Three)
-Sinner (Book Four)
-Pilgrim (Book Five)
-Crusader (Book #6)
If you like epic fantasy, adventures in new worlds, plenty of action, good vs evil, some violence, wonderful character, and interesting stories- then this book series is definitely one you will want to read!
Happy Reading!
December 14, 2018
This was a hefty book at about 720 pages. Spoilers ahead so be warned....
Pilgrim is only earning two stars from me as I am not a fan of rape and incest heavy plots. The rape of WolfStar (again with the annoying Icarii names eg. StarLaughter whose name appears out of sorts with the context of all her scenes), the rape of Niah almost reborn for the hundredth time, the rape of the whole Tencendor landscape etc etc etc... and then the SunSoar obsession with each other. I like Zenith but her plot line took a dive in this long book when her whole dilemma became whether or not she should be her grandfather's lover. Eww. I think she should just branch out and see who else might fit the bill not of her blood. Her character had real promise to grow from the first book in this series but did not move an inch in this book.
To be fair, the twist with Caelum being RiverStar's lover and killer was a surprise, I was convinced that it had been WolfStar. Although Caelum's death being pre-ordained and him just accepting it was annoying; they are so ruled by 'fate' and 'destiny' in these stories that they hardly try to change their courses even if it means they might live. Caelum was a tragic wounded character who I wished had more layers to him, being the adored son of Axis and Azhure from the previous series who just came to a disappointing end. Axis and Azhure are no longer gods and I feel like their struggles were a waste and that leaves me feeling kind of empty.
Don't ask me about the difference between Herme and Theod. They might as well be one and the same for all the distinction there is in their writing.
The Faraday character rose high in my view in Sinner and fell down to an annoying clone of who she used to be when she was following Axis around in the last books. Hopefully she will get her shit together in the next one.
The book, though long has plenty of stuff going on that propel's the plot forward and so it kept my attention easily enough - even if I didn't love a lot of the characters or themes. This author always seems to set out putting males in the lead roles but is better at writing the females. Maybe she will surprise me and have a twist with a female character actually being the true StarSon - now wouldn't that be a triumph of feminine equality. I won't get my hopes up to high though.
Again, the editing needs to be tighter and the text less 'wordy'. It lacks some sophistication but has some unexpected ideas and is still easy to read so overall, two stars and I have already started on the next one.
Pilgrim is only earning two stars from me as I am not a fan of rape and incest heavy plots. The rape of WolfStar (again with the annoying Icarii names eg. StarLaughter whose name appears out of sorts with the context of all her scenes), the rape of Niah almost reborn for the hundredth time, the rape of the whole Tencendor landscape etc etc etc... and then the SunSoar obsession with each other. I like Zenith but her plot line took a dive in this long book when her whole dilemma became whether or not she should be her grandfather's lover. Eww. I think she should just branch out and see who else might fit the bill not of her blood. Her character had real promise to grow from the first book in this series but did not move an inch in this book.
To be fair, the twist with Caelum being RiverStar's lover and killer was a surprise, I was convinced that it had been WolfStar. Although Caelum's death being pre-ordained and him just accepting it was annoying; they are so ruled by 'fate' and 'destiny' in these stories that they hardly try to change their courses even if it means they might live. Caelum was a tragic wounded character who I wished had more layers to him, being the adored son of Axis and Azhure from the previous series who just came to a disappointing end. Axis and Azhure are no longer gods and I feel like their struggles were a waste and that leaves me feeling kind of empty.
Don't ask me about the difference between Herme and Theod. They might as well be one and the same for all the distinction there is in their writing.
The Faraday character rose high in my view in Sinner and fell down to an annoying clone of who she used to be when she was following Axis around in the last books. Hopefully she will get her shit together in the next one.
The book, though long has plenty of stuff going on that propel's the plot forward and so it kept my attention easily enough - even if I didn't love a lot of the characters or themes. This author always seems to set out putting males in the lead roles but is better at writing the females. Maybe she will surprise me and have a twist with a female character actually being the true StarSon - now wouldn't that be a triumph of feminine equality. I won't get my hopes up to high though.
Again, the editing needs to be tighter and the text less 'wordy'. It lacks some sophistication but has some unexpected ideas and is still easy to read so overall, two stars and I have already started on the next one.
January 17, 2019
How is this book so more well-written, so much funnier, so much better<\i> than its predecessors? Better editor? An author who had grown? It’s kind of a shame because I suspect the first half of this series will deter people from the second half, and that shouldn’t be.
On one hand, the establishment of the world itself in the previous books, let us call it the first trilogy, was a lot of fun. But it was riddled with errors, poor writing, Deus ex Machina moments, and more than a few houses built on sand.
That said, it is impossible to read the second trilogy without feeling some nostalgia, as well as sadness for Azhure and Axis, relegated to the background, like, “Thanks so much for your enchanted sperm and egg. Now be off with you, assholes.” Which is what they very much become. And while I understand the necessity of their being total asses to their second son for plot purposes, I think you somewhat have to suspend your disbelief that they would be incapable of embracing him at least a little more after losing memory and consciousness and the ability to threaten anything more than a gadfly. At the same time, their general disregard for ALL of their children saving Caelum (and...why? For all they know, Tencendor is safe forever, so why would Caelum be anything more than the magical product of their magical loins? I am very confused by their confidence in their son’s destiny for greatness.) does seem to point at their having a pretty Darwinian home of hierarchies, with a descending amount of finite love for their poor fucked up offspring. Dunno what you’re so bitter about, anyway, Drago. If any one of those people professed either love or familial obligation to me I would run howling in the opposite direction.
Ta, Douglass. This is surprisingly better the second time round. Hope you’re enjoying your dance among the stars. xoxo
On one hand, the establishment of the world itself in the previous books, let us call it the first trilogy, was a lot of fun. But it was riddled with errors, poor writing, Deus ex Machina moments, and more than a few houses built on sand.
That said, it is impossible to read the second trilogy without feeling some nostalgia, as well as sadness for Azhure and Axis, relegated to the background, like, “Thanks so much for your enchanted sperm and egg. Now be off with you, assholes.” Which is what they very much become. And while I understand the necessity of their being total asses to their second son for plot purposes, I think you somewhat have to suspend your disbelief that they would be incapable of embracing him at least a little more after losing memory and consciousness and the ability to threaten anything more than a gadfly. At the same time, their general disregard for ALL of their children saving Caelum (and...why? For all they know, Tencendor is safe forever, so why would Caelum be anything more than the magical product of their magical loins? I am very confused by their confidence in their son’s destiny for greatness.) does seem to point at their having a pretty Darwinian home of hierarchies, with a descending amount of finite love for their poor fucked up offspring. Dunno what you’re so bitter about, anyway, Drago. If any one of those people professed either love or familial obligation to me I would run howling in the opposite direction.
Ta, Douglass. This is surprisingly better the second time round. Hope you’re enjoying your dance among the stars. xoxo
July 22, 2025
Things in Tencendor seem to be going from bad to worse. The TimeKeeper Demons have landed and are hellbent on resurrecting Qeteb. Will DragonStar and the the other SunSoars be able to help everyone survive the fallout?
What I loved: How the multiple plotlines, many, many (often problematic) characters, and vivid world and lore building all weave together to create an epic high fantasy.
Who else would love this book: If you love 90's/early 2000's fantasy with characters that redefine morally gray and redemption, this is the book for you. Plenty of fantasy elements, lots of gore and fighting, and the most unhinged villains (and often heros) you could hope for.
Comp Titles: Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Game of Thrones (movies, I've never read the books)
What I loved: How the multiple plotlines, many, many (often problematic) characters, and vivid world and lore building all weave together to create an epic high fantasy.
Who else would love this book: If you love 90's/early 2000's fantasy with characters that redefine morally gray and redemption, this is the book for you. Plenty of fantasy elements, lots of gore and fighting, and the most unhinged villains (and often heros) you could hope for.
Comp Titles: Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Game of Thrones (movies, I've never read the books)
July 27, 2017
Even better than the first. I love how Drago and Caelum found their place and accepted it. That Axis was really a stubborn nag, wasn't he? A classic example of post-power syndrom. Thankfully Azhure fared better. Also I'm intrigued by the collapsible gates to the Sanctuary; how handy! And I like how the creatures of Tencendor weren't forgotten to be saved. Couldn't wait to see how the ending would be.
January 29, 2022
The series is taking absolutely wild turns. I'm still very much along for the ride, but this installment desperately needed better editing, particularly the final third of the book.
I'm also uncomfortable with the amount of violence, both physical and sexual. I understand that Douglass is creating a vile land that needs to make us feel sick, but.... it's difficult to read a lot of the time.
I'm also uncomfortable with the amount of violence, both physical and sexual. I understand that Douglass is creating a vile land that needs to make us feel sick, but.... it's difficult to read a lot of the time.
October 29, 2025
I read this series as a teenager and it remains one of me favourite fantasy series to date. The characters are amazing and the setting pulls you in. There are twists and turn, beautiful magic, heartwenching betrayals and so much more. I will forever recommend this incredible series to anyone looking for a captivating read that you just won’t be able to put down. 25 out of 10 stars recommend.
July 12, 2022
Liked this better than Book 1 (4?). Kept me reading, without struggling. Still a bit too fantastical for my taste i.e. not believable in a “could never happen” way. Still, now I have to read the end of the story.
March 22, 2025
Sadly, another slow one, with a lot of repetitive dialogue. Also some really strong rape themes which caught me by surprise, felt a little unnecessary with how graphic it was. Hoping this series comes together in the last book
December 8, 2017
This is were the series just seemed to stagnate (if my memory is true). My own view point of the world could be the cause as well. My life was very different toward the end of the book series.
March 16, 2018
3.5 stars
July 19, 2018
One can almost, but not quite, feel terrible for what happens to WolfStar Sunsoar in this book.
March 3, 2019
Definitely unique
December 16, 2020
Some good ideas but very stretched out
October 14, 2021
5th book -
Epic must read series!
Epic must read series!
January 16, 2022
At this point I just want to know what happens to the lizard and Faraday. Also Ashure because she's cool. On to the last book!
December 27, 2023
It was a weirdly compelling slog. But I am glad I sludged through it.
January 3, 2024
Chills, very keen for the next book!
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